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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2
F
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Joined: Mar 2008
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I need some help. My husband had an affair with an ex-girlfriend (high school), he says the sexual affair has ended, but every time he successfully pulls away she calls him with some sob story and comes back into his life again. She is married (43 yrs old) but is separated, my husband is 45 yrs old and I am 42. I do not know what to do anymore. She even wants to be my friend, I keep on telling him that she wants to break up our marriage, but he does not listen. This has been going on since July 2007.

Things were going so well but she called to have him take her, her mother and two children to the airport. He just could not say no. It is breaking my heart. I have been through so much with this man, we have been married for 18 yrs, with 3 children. I am at fault for a lot of the things from the past, I just want a clean start. He just won’t let go.

I am thinking of exposing this relationship to her family, but do not know how to, she lives 250 miles away. I have been trying to do plan A, but it has not been totally successful.

Joined: May 2008
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N
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I would love to be able to give you some enlightening advice but I am really not in a position to do so. I am sorry though and think you somehow need to nip this in the bud asap. His emotional attachment to her is dangerous and it sounds as though he is already unwilling to give it up for you and your marriage. Act quickly once you feel you have solid advice and good luck.

Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,222
J
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Do a phone search on her family, and if you can't find them, a PI can for only around $100.

Have you exposed to your WH's family and friends? What about OWH? I know they are separated, but maybe she is trying to get back with him as well. You need to let everyone know, so your WH feels worse staying in contact with her than telling her "no" and blowing her off.


Jim

BS - 32 (me)
FWW - 33
Married 8/31/03
No kids (but 3 cats)
D-Days - 8/25/06 (EA), 11/3/06 (PA)
NC agreed to - 11/8/06
NC broken - 11/28/06, 12/16/06, 1/18/07, 1/26/07, 1/27/07
Status - In Recovery
Jim's Story
Joined: Apr 2001
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M
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Foram, have you spoken to her husband personally? I would start there with exposure and on the same day, call her mother and tell her about the affair. Tell her that your marriage cannot recover without complete no contact and ask her to ask her D to leave your H alone.

The next biggest problem is your H. He MUST agree to complete no contact for life in order to recover your marriage. I would explain to him that your marriage does not have room for 3 people and that this continued contact is DEVASTATING to you. Tell him you cannot go on like this and ask him to send her a no contact letter agreeing to never see or speak to her again. I will post a suggest letter from SAA below.

Give him a chance to do this and if he won't do it, then you need to prepare yourself for Plan B, a separation until he is willing to give his adultery. You have already been dealing with this for far longer than Dr Harley suggests. Plan A is supposed to last 6 weeks for women. Much longer and they start experiencing severe emotional problems because this is a form of ABUSE.

Start taking action, foram. Your mental health depends on it and your children, if any, depend on YOU.

Quote
Dr. Harley:

http://www.marriagebuilders.com/graphic/mbi5060_qa.html


My advice is to write a final letter in a way that the victimized spouse would agree to send it. It should begin with a statement of how selfish it was to cause those they loved so much pain, and while marital reconciliation cannot completely repay the offense, it's the right thing to do. A statement should be made about how much the unfaithful spouse cares about his spouse and family, and for their protection, has decided to completely end the relationship with the lover. He or she has promised never to see or communicate with the lover again in life, and asks the lover to respect that promise. Nothing should be said about how much the lover will be missed. After the letter is written, the victimized spouse should read and approve it before it is sent


[from SAA, pg 58]

OW, I want you to know that out of respect and love for my wife and children, I have come to realize that I must never see or talk to you again. My relationship with you was a cruel indulgence that BS did not deserve. While I cannot completely repay BS for the pain I caused her, I will do my best to become the husband she has been missing. I care a great deal for my family and I would not want to do anything to risk their happiness. I will not make any further contact with you and I do not want you to make any contact with me. Please respect my desire to end our relationship.

Sincerely, XXXXX


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Apr 2001
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M
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I would suggest that you order Surviving an Affair by Dr Willard Harley off this website. He sells it cheap and has fast, cheap shipping.

Here is what Dr. Harley, a clinical psychologist with 35 years experience says about contact:

Dr. Harley in Coping with Infidelity: Part 2
How Should Affairs End?


Never see or communicate with a former lover

Once an affair is first revealed, whether it's discovered or admitted, the victimized spouse is usually in a state of shock. The first reaction is usually panic, but it's quickly followed by anger. Divorce and sometimes even murder are contemplated. But after some time passes (usually about three weeks), most couples decide that they will try to pull together and save their marriage.

The one having an affair is in no position to bargain, but he or she usually tries anyway. The bargaining effort usually boils down to somehow keeping the lover in the loop. You'd think that the unfaithful spouse would be so aware of his or her weaknesses, and so aware of the pain inflicted, that every effort would be made to avoid further contact with the lover as an act of thoughtfulness to the stunned spouse. But instead, the unfaithful spouse argues that the relationship was "only sexual" or was "emotional but not sexual" or some other peculiar description to prove that continued contact with the lover would be okay.

Most victimized spouses intuitively understand that all contact with a lover must end for life. Permanent separation not only helps prevent a renewal of the affair, but it is also a crucial gesture of consideration to someone who has been through he11. What victimized spouse would ever want to know that his or her spouse is seeing or communicating with a former lover at work or in some other activity?

In spite of career sacrifices, friendships, and issues relating to children's schooling, I am adamant in recommending that there be no contact with a former lover for life. For many, that means a move to another state. But to do otherwise fails to recognize the nature of addiction and its cure.

<snip>

We don't know if R.J. still sees his lover, but he says he has broken off all contact. In many cases where a person is still in town, that's hard to prove. But one thing's for sure, if he ever does see his lover, it will put him in a state of perpetual withdrawal from his addiction, and make the resolution of his marriage essentially impossible. In fact, one of the reasons he is not recovering after three months of separation may be that he is not being truthful about the separation.

Entire article at: http://www.marriagebuilders.com/graphic/mbi5060_qa.html

How to Survive an Affair chapter in HIS NEEDS, HER NEEDS
p. 177

...I have seen husbands build new and wonderful relationships with their wives but then go back to their lovers after five or six years of what appeared to be marital bliss. When I ask them why, they inevitably tell me they miss the woman terribly and still love her. At the same time they stoutly affirm they love their wives dearly and would not think of leaving them.

I believe a man like this has told the truth. He is hopelessly entangled and needs all the help possible to be kept away from his lover and stay faithful to his wife. I often recommend that a man once involved in an affair come in to see me every three to six months on an indefinite basis, just to talk about how things are going and to let me know how successfully he has stayed away from his lover. He must resign himself to a lifetime without her. HE MUST CERTAINLY NOT WORK WITH HIS FORMER LOVER AND SHOULD PROBABLY LIVE IN SOME OTHER CITY OR STATE. Even with those restrictions the desire for her company persists...


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101



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